Draft and buffing gear



' www3 ci.. 23, 1934. Q E. DA1-H DRAFT AND BUFFING GEAR Filed Jan. 27, 1933 Patented Oct. 23, 1934 UNITED STATES DRAFT AND BUFFING GEAR charles E. path, ohicago,111.assignor to W. H. Miner, Inc., Chicago, Ill., vacorporation of Delaware i 4 Claims. i

`This invention relates to improvements in draft and bufling gears especially adapted for mine cars.

The main object of this invention is to provide a simple, efficient and durable combined draft 5v. and bufiing `gear for mine cars which 'may be quickly assembled and applied to the car.

Almore specific object of thisinvntion is to provide a gear of the character described in the preceding paragraph, comprising draft and 10. bufling springs, a bulng head, a draft yoke and 'an enclosing housing, wherein simple and enicient means is employed for holding the buning head assembledwith the housing and limiting the outward movement of the bufling head and y also serving while being applied in assembling f the parts to place the springs under the required initial compression.

Other objects of the invention will more clearly appear from the description and claims hereinafter following.

`25. car. Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view,4 partly broken away,vcorresponding to the line 2--2 of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view, corresponding substantially to the line 3-3 of Figure 1. Figures 4 and 5r are transverse vertical sectional views, partly broken away, corresponding respectively Vto the lines ,4-4 and 5*-5 `of Figure 1. a

Insaid drawing, 10 indicatesone of the end sill members lof a mine car, said end sill being shownas forming an integral part of` the car underframe structure, which, inthe particular car illustrated, is in the form of a single casting. My improved combined draft andbuiing gear comprises broadly, a housing A; a buning head B;

a yoke C; a pairof combined retaining and stop keys D-D; a pair of springs E-E; and a coupling pin G. i A

VAs shown in the drawing, the housing A is preferably formed as an integral part of the end sill 10, which end sill is also a part of the underframe casting of the car. However, as will be understood by those skilled in the art, my improvements are not limited to the ,housing being thus formed, and it is within my invention to employ a separate end sill member, or form the housing as a separate member which is fixed to the end of the car. Thehousing A has a rearwardly extending section of reduced width and height, whichforms a springcage portion. The housing 5,5 is `defined. by spaced sidewalls 12-12, yspaced 1933, Serial No. `653,784 (oi. 21e- 9) r` top and bottom walls' 13 and 14, and avertical back'wall 15. The housing is open at the front end and has the spring cage portion 11 thereof disposed rearwardly of the vertical front web 16 of theend sill member 10. As clearly shown in Figures 1 and 2, the top, bottom and side walls of the' housing are inwardly offset to produce the reduced spring cage portion thereof. As illustrated mostclearly in Figures 1, 2 and 3, the bottom wall of the housing has a forwardly extending section 17, which projects beyond the front edge of the top wall 13 and forms a ledge for properly supporting the sliding bufling head B. rfhe Side walls 12-12 have inturned, vertically extending flanges 18-18 at their forward ends, which form abutment shoulders for the combined retaining and stop keys DD.

Thebuiiing head B has the rear end portion thereof telescoped within the housing and is slidingly supported'on the bottom wall 14 of the housing. The head B is defined by spaced vertical side walls 19-19, horizontal top and bottom walls 20e-20, a pair of spaced, longitudinally eX- tending walls 2l-21 between the top and bottom walls and relatively short vertical front end Walls 22--22 connecting the top andbottom walls and with the walls '2l- 21. The walls 22--22 are curved as shown in Figure l, thereby presenting transversely rounded bufling surfaces which are in vertical alignment. The spaces between the walls 21-21 and the top and bottom walls 26-20, respectively, define guide ways for the arms of the yoke C, as hereinafter more fully described. The walls 21-21 are shorter than the walls 1919 and 20-20, and converge inwardly towards each other,y as clearly shown in Figure 3. The space between the walls 21-21 defines an opening 24, adapted to accommodate the usual coupling link 23. The walls 21-21 are connected at their inner ends by a vertical web.25, which forms an abutment for the front ends of the springs E--E. Theweb 25, as well as the walls 21-21, are formed integral with the side Walls 19-19 and thelatter are cutaway between the walls 21--21 so that the opening 24 is continuous from side to side of the bumng head, thereby accommodating the link 23 when the latter is in the dotted line position of `Figure 1. The `walls 20-20 and 21-721 are provided with vertically aligned', longitudinally` extending slots 26--26 and 26-26,

adapted to receive the coupling pin G. The inner f is further provided with lateral flanges 27-27 at its inner end, which are formed integral with the side walls 19-19. The flanges 27-27 are of 4such a width that they pass freely between the flanges 18H18 of the housing A, to permit telescoping of th-e buing head Within the openend of the hous ing in assembling the parts of the gear. The web 25 is preferably provided with a central opening 28, which gives clearance for the rear end of they coupling link 23 and thereby permits the maxif mum required rearward displacement of the link.-

'I'he yoke C has spaced top andv bottom arms 29-29 and a vertical rear endl section 30 connecting the arms. The section 30 forms an abutment for the rear ends of the springs E-E, and Vis of greater width than the arms 29-29 so as to provide ample bearing surface for the pair of springs as clearly shown in Figure 5. The arms 29-29 are guided respectively between the walls 20-21 and 20-21 of the bufling head B. At the forward ends, the arms 29-29 are preferably thickenedas indicated at 31-31, and these thickened portions are provided with aligned 'vertical openings 32-32, which register with `the slots 26-26 of the bufng head B. The openings y32--32 receive the pin G, which substantially fits these openings.

The springs E-E are disposed within the yoke and have their opposite ends bearing respectively on the abutment wall 25 of the bufnng head and the vertical rear end section 30 of the yoke.

The combined retaining and stop keys D-D are in the form of elongated, relatively heavy, flat bars of substantially rectangular cross-sec,-

tion. Each key has the bottom end thereof bev- 35 eled, as clearly shown in Figures 2 and 3, and said beveled end is split, as illustrated in Figures .4 and 5, to permit spreading of the end of the key to prevent accidental removal of same. At the upper end, each key has a laterally projecting portion forming head 33. The keys D-D are disposed at opposite sides ofthe buffer head, in back of the angesIS-IS of the housing A, andextend through vertically aligned openings 34-34 and 34-34 in the top and bottom walls of the etV housing. Each key D is of such a width as to occupy the space between the walls 12andY 19, at the corresponding sides of the housing A and bufng head B. As shown most clearly rin Figure 1, the keys D-D are disposed in front of the iianges 2'7-2'7 of the bufling head andv are'overlapped by the latter so that outward movement of the bufiing head is limited by engagement between these lianges and keys D-D. The keys D--D, in addition to holding parts assembled and limiting outward movement of the buffing head,

serve to hold the springs under initial compression. y

In assembling my improved combined draft and bufng gear, the springs E-E are first placed 6B within the yoke C, the bufling head B is then engaged over the o-uter ends of the arms 29-29`of the yoke, and the yoke C with the bufiing head are applied to the housing A by telescoping the rear i end portion of the bufiing head B within the en- ,A ends ofthe keys D--D being beveled, the buing vhead B will be forced inwardly into the housing A by wedging action of the beveled ends against the flanges 27-27 of the bufng. head. When completely applied, the split lower end portions of the keys D-D are spread apart, as clearly shown in Figures 4 and 5, thereby locking the keys in position. As will be evident, when the keys have been completely applied, the buiiing head B will be in such a position that the springs E-E are under compression.

wall 15 ofthe housing A. Inward movement of the bufiing head Bwill be limited by engagement with the wal1,16 ofjthehousing. In a draft action, when a pulling force is applied to the yoke `C l-through the coupling link 23 and pin G, the

yoke will be moved outwardly of the housing, thereby compressing the springs E-E against the abutment wallA 25 of the'buiiing head B.4 At

this time, the buing head B is stationary, due

to engagement of the flanges 27-'27 with the' movement of the yoke C is limitedy by the pin G` engaging the outer end walls ofthe slots 26- 26t` of the buing head B. v

I haveherein shown and described what I now its consider the preferred manner of carrying out myv invention, but the same is merely illustrative and I contemplate all changes and modifications that come within the scope of the claims appended hereto. 1 I

I claim:

' ilo 1. In acombined draft and buing gear for a car, the combination with a housing having side walls provided with inturned flanges at the forward ends; of a bufling head-slidable between the side walls'of the housing, said head having laterally outwardly` directedv flanges at opposite sides; a pair of retaining keys having engagement with the anges of the' housing and bufting head for limiting outward movement of said head, said keys being ltapered to wedge said b uing head inwardly of the housing when said keys are driven into position between the-flanges ofthe housing and bufiing head when the parts are being asseml bled; and spring means yieldingly opposing move-v ment of the bufinghead inwardly of the housing. 2. In a combined draft and bufingv gear for a. car, the combination with a housing open at the forward end and rhaving.'inturnedfianges at said end; of a bufling head telescoped within. the housing, said head' having laterally youtwardly projecting flanges at said inner end, the router edges of said last named flanges terminating laterally inwardly of the inner edges of said first named flanges; vertically disposed keys at opposite sides of the buffing head, xed to the housing and overlapping the flanges of both the housing and buiiing head; a yoke within the housing; means within the yoke yieldingly opposing rela. tive movement of the yoke and buing head; and a coupling pin extending through said bufling head and yoke and limiting outwardl movementof the yoke withrespect to the buing head.l

3. In a combined draft and bufiing gear for a irs 'illu car, the combination with a supporting casing of a yoke extending into said casing, said yoke having top and bottomarms; a buing head telescoped within the casing and enclosing said yoke arms, said' head hav-ingtop and bottom guideways receiving said arms, said head also having a coupling link receiving opening between said arms; means yieldingly opposing relative movement of the yoke and head; and a coupling pin extending through said buflng head and the arms of the yoke, said pin intersecting the coupling link receiving opening of the buifing head.

4. In a combined draft and bufng gear for a car, the combination With a housing having interior, rear abutment faces `and spaced side Walls, said side Walls having inturned flanges at the outer ends; of a buiing head having a transverse front Wall presenting an outer bung surface, said head being slidable between the side Walls of said housing, said bufng head having outturned flanges at opposite sides thereof, said outturned anges engaging said rear abutment faces of the housing to limit rearward movement of the buing head; vertically disposed keys at opposite sides of the bufling head, each of said keys being disposed between one of the flanges of the buffing head and one of the flanges of the housing and overlapping both of said flanges, said keys limiting outward movement of the bufling head; cushioning means yieldingly resisting movement of the bufng head inwardly of the housing, the front end of said cushioning means bearing on the front wall of the bufng head; a yoke having a transverse rear end section bearing on the rear end of said cushioning means; and means for connecting the yoke to a coupling link, said means including a coupling pin extending through the front end of the yoke.

CHARLES E. DATH. 

